Gippsland Power - Media Release
By Bryan Mitchell
On the biggest stage in junior football in Australia, Gippsland Power claimed the 2005 TAC Cup premiership with a hard-fought and convincing 15 point victory over the Dandenong Stingrays at the MCG. The Power led at every change and had answers for everything that the Stingrays could throw at them. They were able to finish off their stellar season with the flag and worked hard throughout the game to ensure that they would fulfill their destiny.
Steve O'Bryan won the toss and kicked with the advantage of the slight breeze. Neither side could settle early and there were lots of mistakes in terms of decision making and disposals. Dandenong had the all-important first goal on the board but this stirred the Power into action and the mercurial Dale Thomas opened their account with a clever crumbing goal. Brett Dore was the next to step up with a typical long bomb and then some forward line pressure by Ricky Delphine and Brett Dore set up Chris Dunne for their third. By the first break the lead was 16 points and they seemingly had the momentum going their way.
Against the wind at the start of the second term, the Power set up Jay Neagle and then Xavier Ellis snuck down forward to pull down a "screamer" and put them 28 points up. Suddenly the Stingrays were looking fragile under the Powers relentless pressure. However, instead of capitulating, the Stingrays dug deep and began to punish some indecisive play by the Power. They kicked two quick goals to restore the status quo and suddenly it was "game-on." The game tightened up for ten minutes with neither side able to break clear. Dandenong broke the deadlock and it took a Dale Thomas "speckie" and goal to get the lead to 15 points by the long break.
As you would expect with so much at stake, the opening minutes of the third term were very tense with neither side able to establish any sort of control. Once again the "human highlight reel" Dale Thomas broke the deadlock and then youngster Jeff Ryan gratefully accepted a "gift" from the Dandenong fullbacks kick-in and the Power again looked set to blow the game open. Ricky Delphine took a huge hit by putting his body on the line yet again but the Stingrays persisted and to reduce the margin and remind the Power that they were still in the game. Some special efforts by Ben Ross and Chris Dunne set Jay Neagle a telling goal late in the term and the Power defence went into hyper-drive as the Stingrays made yet another charge. By the last change the lead was 22 points and the Power seemed to have the Stingrays measure.
The last term opened with both sides applying lots of pressure and the Power hit first with Ricky Delphine, Jay Neagle, and Ben Ross combining to create a slim opportunity for Scott Pendlebury who duly converted. Tellingly, the Stingrays just kept coming and kicked two quick goals on the rebound to once again let it be known that they wanted the title as badly as the Power.
Once again the game became a tight tussle and the Stingrays struck first to bring the margin to less than two goals and the crowd was starting to really get behind both sides as the pressure mounted.
As he had done throughout the game, "Daisey" Thomas took matters into his own hands with another special goal on the run and this inspired Ben Fraser to lift his game as he finished off a chain of passes that started from a clutch mark by Craig Flint and passed through the hands of Delphine, Dowd, Pendlebury and Dunne before Fraser capped it all off. The Stingrays responded quickly but from then on the Power rallied to shut the game down with their special brand of committed teamwork.
Final scores Gippsland Power 12 goals 9 behinds 81 points defeated Dandenong Stingrays 10 goals 6 behinds 66 points. Goal kickers Dale Thomas 4, Jay Neagle 2, Brett Dore, Chris Dunne, Xavier Ellis, Ben Fraser, Scott Pendlebury and Jeff Ryan 1.
Dale Thomas stamped his authority on the game early and never relented with his brilliant individual skills and team oriented play. It was a "Boys Own" dream game for the Drouin player and certainly enhanced his AFL Draft prospects. Defender Craig Flint has been the linch pin the the TAC Cup's best defensive unit and again led his troops manfully with his own brand of disciplined and resolute play..
Rover Ricky Delphine has had a brilliant season in 2005 and didn't drop his lofty standards in the biggest game of the year. He won plenty of the ball and used it well as well as putting his body on the line against the big blokes. His mate Brett Dore was again in command of his domain and took the big marks when the pressure was on He was in the thick of the action all day and used his body to create time and space for team mates.
Much of the Powers' dominance in 2005 has stemmed from the ruck work of Trent West and he again dominated the aerial duels to generate drive for the side as well as taking timely marks. Jaymie Youle had a typically strong and determined game in defence and attacked the ball fearlessly as well as limiting the impact of dangerous opponents. Fellow defender Lachlan Hansen took the big marks but really hurt the Stingrays with his ability to attack and run with the ball.
The "baby" of the side Beau Vernon made the most of his opportunities and combined courage, excellent decision making and precise ball skills to generate a lot of drive for the team. "Old-timer" Chris Dunne turned in his signature game based on commitment and hard work. He not only won 20 possessions but led the side with 13 crunching tackles. The mercurial Scott Pendlebury showed a lot of grit to play the game after a family bereavement but demonstrated real courage and strength of character to be a significant contributor all day.
Paul Hudson was elated with the boys win and heaped justified praise on them for their ability to do so consistently well considering the fact that they only trained together once a week. He has done a great job guiding the squad through their outstanding season and they taught him a lot about coaching. He received outstanding and professional support from his assistants and as a team they have moulded one of the most potent units in the TAC Cups' history.
Regional manager Peter Francis was particularly pleased that the boys pulled it off as he has worked tirelessly over the past 11 years to provide the boys with the best opportunities to excel in their chosen sport. His vision, professionalism and attention to detail has created a system that has found, refined and moulded a squad of raw-boned youngsters into the most potent junior team in Australia. He, his right-hand man Laurie Plunkett, development officer Rob Reid and Paul form the nerve centre of the club and their hard work has paid off in the best way possible.
Last Modified on 26/05/2008 12:03